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1 July 2015 Modeling the Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Vectors (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Iran: A Potential Transmission in Disease Prone Areas
Ahmad Ali Hanafi-Bojd, Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Ali Akbar Haghdoost, Amir Ahmad Akhavan, Yavar Rassi, Ameneh Karimi, Zabihollah Charrahy
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Abstract

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is now the main vector-borne disease in Iran. Two forms of the disease exist in the country, transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus sergenti s.l. Modeling distribution of the vector species is beneficial for preparedness and planning to interrupt the transmission cycle. Data on sand fly distribution during 1990–2013 were used to predict the niche suitability. MaxEnt algorithm model was used for prediction using bioclimatic and environmental variables (precipitation, temperature, altitude, slope, and aspect). Regularized training, area under the curve, and unregularized training gains were 0.916, 0.915, and 1.503, respectively, for Ph. papatasi. These values were calculated as 0.987, 0.923, and 1.588 for Ph. sergenti s.l. The jackknife test showed that the environmental variable with the highest gain when used in isolation has the mean temperature of the wettest quarter for both species, while slope decreases the gain the most when it is omitted from the model. Classification of probability of presence for two studied species was performed on five classes using equal intervals in ArcGIS. More than 60% probability of presence was considered as areas with high potential of CL transmission. These areas include arid and semiarid climates, mainly located in central part of the country. Mean of altitude, annual precipitation, and temperature in these areas were calculated 990 and 1,235 m, 273 and 226 mm, and 17.5 and 16.4°C for Ph. papatasi and Ph. sergenti s.l., respectively. These findings can be used in the prediction of CL transmission potential, as well as for planning the disease control interventions.

© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Ahmad Ali Hanafi-Bojd, Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Ali Akbar Haghdoost, Amir Ahmad Akhavan, Yavar Rassi, Ameneh Karimi, and Zabihollah Charrahy "Modeling the Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Vectors (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Iran: A Potential Transmission in Disease Prone Areas," Journal of Medical Entomology 52(4), 557-565, (1 July 2015). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjv058
Received: 17 February 2015; Accepted: 2 May 2015; Published: 1 July 2015
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KEYWORDS
cutaneous leishmaniasis
Iran
niche modeling
Phlebotomus papatasi
Phlebotomus sergenti s.l.
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